A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for vehicle electronic control units, and more specifically to methods and apparatuses for limiting access to a vehicle electronic control unit to reduce vehicle thefts.
B. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the automotive industry to provide vehicles with an electronic control unit (ECU). An ECU is a control device usually having a central processing unit (CPU) (such as a microprocessor), random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and an input/output interface. A vehicle may have one or more ECUs to control one or more vehicle components. ECUs range in complexity from an Engine Control Unit which handles the logic for managing the power-train system efficiency, to a simple body module that controls the automatic door locks or power windows.
It is also known in the automotive industry to provide a vehicle with a theft-deterrent system. Some theft-deterrent systems work with an ECU. In one example, the ECU controls some engine starting component (such as the fuel injection system or the ignition system). Only the specific owner's key will enable the vehicle to start because the key communicates a specific signal recognized by the ECU and the theft-deterrent system. Without the proper key, such systems make it impossible for a thief to “hot wire” the vehicle.
While such theft-deterrent systems work well for their intended purpose, they have a disadvantage related to the fact that it has become relatively easy to obtain a matching ECU and theft-deterrent system from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Thieves are thus able to break into a vehicle and replace the original ECU/theft-deterrent system with their own matching pair. Since they also acquire the correct key for their system, they can steal the car in a relatively short time. What is needed is a way to better protect an ECU.